Current water-wheel.



PATENTED DEC. 10, 19707 1 A. A. PORTER.

CURRENT WATER WHEEL.

APPLICATION FILED JULY22,1903:

WI 7N E SSE S ATTORNEYS.

ASAHEL A. roman, or NAUGATUCK, CONNECTICUT.

CURRENT WATER-WHEEL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 10, 1907.

Application filed July 22L19oa Serial No. 166.586.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ASAHEL A. PORTER, a citizen of the United States, and ail-resident of Naugatuck, in the county of New Haven and State of Connecticut, have invented a new and Improved Current Water-.VVheel, of

which thejo description.

The object of the invention is to provide a new and improved current water wheel, which is simple and durable in construction, very effective in operation, and arranged to lowing is a full, clear, and exact revolve in either direction, without change roction from one side to the other, so that in the direction of the current or the location of the Wheel in the current, and to allow of using the wheel in either a vertical or a horizontal position.

The invention consists of novel features and arts and combinations of the same, as will he more fully described hereinafter and thenpointed out in the claims.

Apractical embodiment of the invention is represented in the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate cor responding parts in both views.

Figure 1 is a plan view of the improve ment; and Fig. 2 is an enlarged elevation of the wheel and its frame.

The ilume A in which the wheel B is arranged, is provided in its sides with vertically disposed guideways C, for the sides of the wheel frame I) to slide in, and on the to of the said frame sides are secured chains 18 or the like, connected with a Windlass or other suitable hoisting apparatus, for suspending the wheel B the desired distance in the water flowing through the flume A, the level of the water being preferably a distance above the top of the wheel, so that the latter is completely immersed in the water.

The wheel B is provided with spaced circular heads B and B, secured on a'shaft B", conn'ectod by a gear wheel F or other means with the machinery to be driven, and between the said heads B and B are arranged wings B, mounted to swing from pivots 13'' arranged in the heads B and B, the said pivots B being located near the rims of the heads, and the free ends of the wings B are adapted to come ngainsteitherof the adjacent stops B, secured to the heads B and B Now the wings B" are pivoted on a radial line midway between the stops ii, that each wing may engage a stop when swinging either digaged by locking catches K,

the direction of the arrow 0.

when the current is vdirected towards one side of the wheel, the wings abut against their, stops B, so that the force of the water on the wings ro tates the wheel B, say in the direotionof the arrow 0', and when the win s reach the lower end of the wheel, they readi y swing into an open position, that is, parallel to the current, so as to give as little resistance to the water as possible during the return cb l be'readily understood by movement, as wi reference to Fig. 1. It is understood that the current is directed to either side of the wheel B, to rotate the latter, and when directed to the left hand side, the wheel is ro- 7o tated in the direction indicated by the arrowa, in Fig.1; but when the current is directed to the right hand side of the wheel B, then the wheel B is reversed, that is, it rotates in the inverse direction of the arrow 0/ and the wings B close while passing to the right hand side of the wheel, and open during their re- .turn travel on the left hand side of the wheel.

Now in order to direct the current to either side of the wheel, a'plurality of gates G, G

rovided, having vertically disposed shafts 4 journaled in suitable bearings G and G are 1n a gate frame H, fitted in vertical guideways 0 arranged on the sides of the flume A. On

the up er ends of the shafts Gr" are secured E86 hand w eels I, under the control of the operator, to turn the gates G, G, G and G into the desired (position, so as to direct the Water to either si e. of the current wheel B, and on the upper ends of the shafts G are also se- 90 cured notched segments J, ada ted to be enfulcrumed on. the frame H and serving to hold the notched segments J and consequently the shaftsG and the gates G, G, G and G in the desired position.

Now as indicated in Fig. 1, the gate G is in a closed position, to direct the water from the right hand side of the flume A towards the middle thereof, for the water to act on the closed wings B, so as to turn the wheel B in In a like mannor the gates G G and G are set, to properly direct the current in the remaining portion of the flume, so that the water efi ectlvelya acts on the closed wings B, to insure a full utlhzation of the ower of the current.

The whee may be stopped by movin the forward extremities of the gates G and 3 inwardly until they substantially touch each other; if necessary, the gates G and G may be brought together in a similar manner; 1n

this Way, the current flowin through the fiumewould be substantially s iut off and the wheel would soon come to a stop.

In order to reverse the direction of rotation of the wheel, the operation just described would be gone through with.

Although {have shown the wheel; B arranged in a fiume, this is not absolutely necessary, as the Water Wheel may be readily disposed in a river or other current, Without the use of a flume, and if desired the Wheel may be disposed horizontally inthe'current insteadof vertically, but in either case approximately one-half .of't'he win 's arein' a closed position for doing Work, w 'le there maining wingsfswingi'freely open, so as to give no resistancetoithe water."

' It'will alsobe seen that the Wheel B can be used asan overshot or undershot Wheel, or

the u per ortion can be used as an overshot whee 'whi e the lower portion is simultaneously used as an undershot wheel. By having the Wings open, as'des'cribed, the back pressureis'reduced'to a minimum, and the Wheel canb'e 'used either Wholly or only partly submerged.

In order to render the gates very effective, the gate frame H carrying the gates is raised orlowered by suitable mechanism, not shown,

the same as the wheel frame D, to bringgthe gates on the same level with the Wheel I do not limit myself-to the number of gates shown, or the locking devices for the the flume, a Wheel mounted in the frame and provided with 'Wins pivoted to swing into reverse osition an with sto s for'the wings, a'secon frame mounted to s ide vertically in the flume in front of the wheel frame, a plurality of gates mounted in the second frame,

and means for locking the gates in position,

as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my" name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

ASAHEL'-A. PORTER.

Witnesses: I i i JOHN MITCHELL, CHAUNoEY F. WEDGE. 

